Lets face it, it is hard to meet a good man these days. But what your local travel agent fails to tell you is that backpacker travel is not only a life-changing experience, but also a great way to meet potential suitors.

Cramming 50 or so young, broke, fairly smelly backpackers into one small hostel can be the recipe for disaster. Indeed, most of the travellers among us have a few (or ten) horror stories they could tell about their latest hostel experiences.

Dublin is many things to many people. It’s an historic city, a great place to shop, a popular weekend getaway for Europeans – and a helluva city for a party. The city’s Temple Bar neighborhood is famous for its cultural sights during by day, and for its raucous all-night parties when the sun goes down. Dublin has been such a draw for rowdy so-called “stag night” and “hen night” parties that some hostels have gone so far as to ban those groups from booking rooms.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics right around the corner, it’s as good a time as any to be looking into travel plans for Vancouver – and if you’re trying to save money on your Olympic adventure, then you’ll definitely be looking into the many hostels in Vancouver for your accommodation. Luckily, there are lots of Vancouver hostels to choose from – but not all of them rank among the city’s best.

Let’s face it, London is expensive. It’s expensive to live in, and it’s expensive to visit – even if you’re only staying for a few days. But does that mean you shouldn’t go? Absolutely not. It just means you’ve got to be even smarter with your travel plans in order to make the most of your travel budget. And, of course, one of the ways to save money is by staying in London hostels.

There are few festivals in Italy that can compare with Carnival in Venice for color, over-the-top costumes, and history – images of party-goers in masks and elaborate Medieval-esque gowns and hats are almost synonymous with the canal city, and no matter what time of year you visit you’ll find Carnival-inspired accoutrements for sale in just about every tourist shop window.

Croatia is no longer the undiscovered gem it once was, but traveling in this heavily coastal country remains cheaper than it is in many other European countries (especially if you’re looking for similar beach-oriented places) and it’s hard to beat for natural beauty. It’s not all about lying on the beach, either, as cities like Dubrovnik have lots of historic monuments to discover – in between times when you’re soaking up the sun, of course.

Smart travelers know that the best way to get to know a place is to avoid expensive hotels. You might be thinking hostels are only for the young, or only for serious backpackers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nowadays, most hostels don't have age restrictions and most provide both dorm-style rooms or private rooms - many even have en suite bathrooms. In reality, your hostel stay will sometimes feel more like a cozy bed and breakfast or guesthouse than a dorm, even if you're sleeping in a dorm-style bedroom - you just might be the one making breakfast!

To start browsing our hostel listings, you can put your travel information into the search box above - pick the country you're visiting, the city you want to stay in and the dates you'll be traveling. You can narrow your search by accommodation types (which include budget hotels, guesthouses, apartments and campsites in addition to traditional hostels) or just look through all of what's available. You can also change the currency that the price will be quoted in. Then, just click the big "Search" button and you'll be able to read through all the hostels that have rooms available the nights you want to stay there. It couldn't be simpler.